Many thanks for all you advice, I will do as you suggest.

Regards
Damian






Yabbadoo Wrote:
Damien, WHATEVER else you do, DO NOT PUT ANY NEW FISH IN until the
weather
consistently warms up - hopefully late March, early April. I know it's
a
temptation - resist it, till it's warmer!

First jobs -
Clean the pump's filter (the one on the pump) - do not run it.

Totally drain and clean out the water filter (the container the pump
feeds
into) and all the filter elements. Container and filter elements must
be
totally clean and dry, at this stage.

Get a net, clean out all the sludge at the bottom of the pond (if you
have
pond plants, CAREFULLY take them out with their root systems, put them
in
buckets. Many pond plants are very delicate (brittle).

Calculate the volume of water in the pond.

Disconnect the pump hose AT THE FILTER END (so you have in effect, a
hose-pipe from the pond). Position the pump so it's about two-thirds
down
the depth, and position the hose from it so it goes onto your garden
(or a
drain) and turn it on. This is the easiest way to drain the pond -
squirting
the outlet onto the garden enriches the soil.
Run it till you have only one-third of rhe ponsd water left. DO NOT let
the
pump run "dry" (must always be pumping water).

Depending on the pump size, this could take several hours. Ideal
opportunity
to look at the pond plants, cut back all the surplus, tidy them up.

OK, after this, clean the pump filter (again). Leave the remaining
pond
water to settle for a day. Then, use your net and clear out more of
the
bottom sludge (you didn't get it all first time, for sure).

These operations will take you a couple of days, it doesn't matter if
they
take weeks - the important things are
1/ Got the main filter tank (and its filters) totally clean and washed
out.
(It hasn't had flowing water for 4 months, so will almost certainly
have
gone stagnant, and killed off the natural bacteria which grow there,
and are
needed)
2/ Got the pump and pump filter clean and ready to go.

3/ Got rid of most of the crap accumulated in the pond. NB don't be
surprised if there's still a fish still in there! Difference between
pond
water and filter water is that natural bacteria and plants (plus
daylight)
will almost certainly have kept the pond water reasonably pure - it
should
not be stagnant. Keeping one-third of it also keeps the bacteria which
will
prime your filter. All you are really doing is getting rid of excess
mud and
decaying vegetable matter.

NOW - you can top up the pond with water, connect the pump hose back to
the
filter, switch on. (not forgetting to replace the plants). This will
start
circulation and cleaning of the water., and doing this for at least a
week -
the longer the better - will stabilise and condition the water ready
for
your new fish.

A lot of work, but, do it when the weather is good. Your fish will
aprreciate it, and, in turn, you will appreciate your fish. Avoidable,
IF
ONLY you had kept the pump running when you moved in! NB - the pump
must be
on 24/7 to retain filter efficiency.

Enjoy! One last thing - when you DO add fish, make sure they are
acclimatised. Large temperature diffeence between the water they came
from
and your pond can result in shock, which may result in white spot
disease
and/or possible death. Be careful! Take advice from the fish vendor.

"damian" wrote in message
...-

My new home has a fish pond which has not been used for about 4
months.
The previous owners removed the fish but have left the pump and
filter
for us to use. I would like to get the pond ready to put some gold
fish
in but I have never had a fish pond or fish before and don't know what
I
need to do to get the pond ready. The pond has had water in it for
the
last four month but we have not had the pump on since we moved in.
Can
someone tell me what I need to do to get the pond ready for fish
?????


All help appreciated
Many thanks
Damian


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damian-


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damian